What Defines A Great Leader To YOU And How Important Is It?

[ProfessaPackMan]

Since people have different definitions of what constitutes someone as a Leader, how do YOU define one and how important do you think it is?

Bonus Question: What makes someone a great leader to you?

[23]

Re: What Defines A Great Leader To YOU And How Important Is It?

This is not even really an NBA question is it?

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: What Defines A Great Leader To YOU And How Important Is It?

Why do you say that?

[cjonesfan921]

Re: What Defines A Great Leader To YOU And How Important Is It?

Since people have different definitions of what constitutes someone as a Leader, how do YOU define one and how important do you think it is?

Bonus Question: What makes someone a great leader to you?

[ScoobySnax]

Re: What Defines A Great Leader To YOU And How Important Is It?

For me:

Lead by example (if your teammates see you working hard, they'll most likely follow suit)
Willing to learn from and listen to someone "lesser" than yourself.
Being a good communicator (Not barking out orders as some "leaders" do. That's a real quick way to lose a team.)
Someone able to keep team morale and confidence levels high.

Having said that, there are MANY ways to lead a team/organization effectively. That leader could possess all the qualities I just mentioned or none at all.

[Dice]

Re: What Defines A Great Leader To YOU And How Important Is It?

Good one. BUT of course someone might claim that the picture was 'Photoshopped' OR what Kobe was saying was, "I'm the one that's going to drive your *** to the airport if you don't start to play some ****ing defense"

[AlexBrady]

Re: What Defines A Great Leader To YOU And How Important Is It?

To me, being a leader is about playing hard, smart, and tough at all times. They live for the wins and die with the losses. A leader always takes personal responsibility for his actions and holds his comrades to the same standard. In the endgame, the leader is ready and willing to make all the plays necessary to carry his team across the finish line. How important is it? Crucial.

[st0rmb11]

Re: What Defines A Great Leader To YOU And How Important Is It?

Hard to define.

I don't care if my "leader" isn't vocal. I would much rather have him just bust his *** in practice and in games EVERY DAY. When the situation calls upon him to step up and play at a level higher than his teammates are capable of playing, he needs to do that. When the situation calls for him to defer to his teammates, he has to be able to do that, and he has to be someone that the teammates don't want to let down, so they play to the best of their abilities when called upon. (in practice and in games).

Along the lines of what AlexBrady said, he lives for the wins and dies with the losses. If the team loses, I want him to hold himself accountable for his role in that loss. If the team wins, I want him to make sure that the media & his teammates know that he didn't do it alone.

If he can find the perfect blend of mentor and friend with his teammates, that would be ideal.

Looking at what I've just defined, 3 guys come to mind for me. (in this order)

1. Bill Russell

2. Larry Bird
3. Post Baseball Michael Jordan

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: What Defines A Great Leader To YOU And How Important Is It?

Is it really important?

How do people rate LeBron as a leader.

Who are the great leaders of today and in the past decade.

[Streets]

Re: What Defines A Great Leader To YOU And How Important Is It?

LOL, I knew this thread was coming...

Honestly, in the NBA, the leader 9 times out of 10 is the best player on the team. They get the praise for the wins and the blame for the losses.

Everyone has their own leadership style and no one quite does it the same. Some people yell and scream, some give encouragement, some shut up and play, and some downplay or reject the role all-together despite it being thrust upon them.

I know it's vague but a great leader does what's needed to get results. Period. So since this is a thinly veiled thread about Kobe, I'll just say he was the best player on multiple championship teams, so that says something about his leadership.

People say, "Oh, it's his talent". He was just as talented when he was getting bounced by Phoenix in the first round every year.

[jeebs9]

Re: What Defines A Great Leader To YOU And How Important Is It?

Everyone looks at superstars. I look at the guys who do the dirty work. Derek Fisher-Shane Battier type players. Someone who is going to step up at the end of the game and take the blame for a lost.

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: What Defines A Great Leader To YOU And How Important Is It?

LOL, I knew this thread was coming...

Honestly, in the NBA, the leader 9 times out of 10 is the best player on the team. They get the praise for the wins and the blame for the losses.

Everyone has their own leadership style and no one quite does it the same. Some people yell and scream, some give encouragement, some shut up and play, and some downplay or reject the role all-together despite it being thrust upon them.

I know it's vague but a great leader does what's needed to get results. Period. So since this is a thinly veiled thread about Kobe, I'll just say he was the best player on multiple championship teams, so that says something about his leadership.

People say, "Oh, it's his talent". He was just as talented when he was getting bounced by Phoenix in the first round every year.

If this thread was about Kobe, I would've just put his name in the title so I'm sorry to disappoint you on that front.

So let me say that again for the other people who think this about Kobe and incase folks think this about who's a better leader between he and Lebron:

This is about what YOU think defines a Leader and how important YOU think it is, not whether Kobe is a great leader or Lebron is a great Leader.

[Dice]

Re: What Defines A Great Leader To YOU And How Important Is It?

Leadership has so many variables. Sometimes we look too much into the overall aspect of a players career that we fail to look at certain points in time when a players does display leadership characteristics. Not every player(or person in that matter) is going to display every characteristic of leadership and not going to display it all the time.

Yes, Kobe did some dumb **** throughout his career. On and off the court. But so has Magic Johnson. Isaiah Thomas. Heck, even Larry Bird got into a bar room fight during the 1985 playoffs which injured Bird’s shooting hand and probably cost them the title in 1985. BUT you cannot tell me that none of these guys has at least one leadership quality OR they haven’t displayed any leadership during their playing days.

[OSUFan_88]

Re: What Defines A Great Leader To YOU And How Important Is It?

There are many facets to what I believe is a great leader:

1) You must be on the court at all times. I think this applies to the theory that showing up is half the battle. You simply cannot be a leader and not be on the court leading your team.

2) Your play must not be weak on the defensive end. I say this because defense is mostly about effort, and if you cannot give strong effort on defense, the players will not respect you. Some of the best leaders of all time, like Jordan and Russell, were leaders because they played tough hard nosed defense that rubbed off on their teammates.

3) Demand more out of the team around you. I think this goes without saying and it is why I believe most leaders are either real or fake. You cannot be buddy buddy all the time. It is just like in anything, sometimes it takes you going postal on someone to prove leadership. Leaders don't make friends, but they get great results and are loved because of it.

4) Never make excuses for your play. If you had an off night or if you straight up got beat, don't make it sound like the other team got lucky. Tell everyone how it is. Honesty is better for everyone in the long run.

Those are just a few things off the top of my head that I can think of. Probably think of more later.

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: What Defines A Great Leader To YOU And How Important Is It?

1) You must be on the court at all times. I think this applies to the theory that showing up is half the battle. You simply cannot be a leader and not be on the court leading your team

Interesting you say this because now I ask...can you get away with being a Part Time Leader but still be considered a GREAT leader or is it something where you have lead at ALL times/situations?